Written Answers Friday 11 August 2006

Scottish Executive

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of women on reception at prison were assessed as (a) being misusers of alcohol, (b) being misusers of drugs, (c) suffering mental ill-health and (d) any one of these in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested is not available. Our estimate is that 99% of female prisoners admitted to HMP & YOI Cornton Vale are illicit drug users.

Prison Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of women on discharge from prison have had intervention while in prison to address (a) misuse of alcohol, (b) misuse of drugs, (c) mental ill-health and (d) any one of these in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The information requested is not available but all female prisoners at HMP & YOI Cornton Vale are offered, on admission, a range of interventions that support a) misuse of alcohol, b) misuse of drugs and c) mental ill-health. The Scottish Prison Service publications ‘Positive Mental Health’ and ‘Addiction Policy’ give details of the diverse delivery of the interventions designed to promote health and reduce personal and environmental harm which we provide.